Authors

German Society of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery.
77th Annual Meeting of the German Society of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery.
Mannheim,
24.-28.05.2006.
DÃ¼sseldorf, KÃ¶ln: German Medical Science; 2006. Doc06hno053

Outline

Introduction: The Vibrant SoundbridgeÂ® (VSB) is an implantable middle ear hearing-device for patients with a mild to severe sensorineural hearing-loss. A Floating-Mass-Transducer (FMT) is used as “direct drive” at the ossicular chain. For the preoperative selection and as an offer for the patients now a simulation system, the „Direct Drive Simulator (DDS), is available.

Method: For the evaluation of the system the simulator was put on eleven unilaterally implanted VSB-patients onto the unsupplied ear. A modified FMT was connected onto the eardrum. Audiological tests were carried on in each case unilateral as well as bilateral. The Freiburger-Monosyllabic test, with and without noise, was carried on. A sound impression occurred by means of music different genre. A subjective judgement occurred via a designed questionnaire.

Results: The speech discrimination with the modified FMT compared with the implanted FMT was poorer by 10%, but quite similar. The results of the simulated bilateral supply show an improvement of the speech discrimination, without background noise, around 13 %. Subjectively the majority of the patients indicated a comparable sound impression of the simulator to the implant and improved speech discrimination with simulated bilateral supply.

Conclusion: The commitment of the Direct Drive Simulators offers a good possibility in the preoperative selection of the patients and is firm component of the current preliminary investigation for the middle ear implantation of the ENT-clinic of the MHH.